


A Wish to be Wanted

by Kateera



Category: Killjoys (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Protectiveness, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-05-21 04:06:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6037384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kateera/pseuds/Kateera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Retirement isn't sitting well with ex-CIA operative Khlyen Alexander so when two abused boys need his help, he doesn't say no. How hard can being a foster father really be?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Arrivals

**Author's Note:**

> What you say? A romantic comedy with Khlyen as the lead? Well I don't believe in setting limits on what I can do so prepare yourselves! Comments and kudos appreciated, mean comments will be deleted without response. Thanks for reading!

**Chapter One: New Arrivals**

 

Planes. He hated the contraptions. He hated to fly unless he could sit in the pilot seat and even then he was most comfortable in a helicopter. Helicopters didn't carry all the potential for disaster that came with cramming a hundred plus strangers into the tight quarters of a commercial jet.

"Flight 617 to Los Angeles now boarding all passengers."

Sitting in the back and boarding last meant a quick scan of all passengers and with his training  he could make sure there wouldn't be any trouble. First class might have been more comfortable but Khylen couldn’t take all those people behind him. He boarded, stashed his carry on, and took his seat with learned efficiency. Resting his head on the seat,  Khlyen stared up at the cabin ceiling and sighed. 

_ Retirement. Worst decision ever. _

The decision rang more of "kicked out" than retired but he couldn't do anything more to change their minds. A new medal, a non-disclosure contract so tight the words couldn't breathe, and a half hearted salute were his parting gifts after thirty three years of service. Honestly, he couldn't really blame them. The CIA looked out for itself first and foremost and he didn’t make the cut these days. New advances in technology and surveillance all but abolished the skills he'd worked so hard to cultivate, the spy game played in locked rooms in front of monitors instead of on the streets. The younger generation had taken over and he'd been made useless. It wasn’t long after that the order came in: retirement with his choice of location, or desk job inside a windowless office for the rest of his life. 

He stared out the window as the plane lifted off, hands gripping  the armrests as they rose in the sky, and thought, _ what now? _

 

Khlyen hadn't cared where he ended up and eventually the lady handling his transportation chose for him, saying something about a smaller city and the coast. There would be a car waiting for him at the airport in Los Angeles and then he would drive to his brand new house in Ventura. It felt more final than a bullet to his brain.

 

The plane landed and Khlyen followed the slow moving herd with barely contained aggression and a few violent fantasies, glad this was his last plane ride. He looked forward to the peace of a nighttime drive. Another wave of people greeted his fellow passengers but he sidestepped the crowd and looked for his name on the white boards lining the far wall. 

KHLYEN ALEXANDER.

_ Ahh. _

He walked to the young man holding the sign and held in his sigh as the young man tried to grab for his bag.

"I have it," Khlyen said, keeping a firm grip on the handle, "just get me to the car."

He knew the man didn’t deserve his anger but after the long flight there wasn’t much patience left in Khlyen’s mood.

"Y-yes sir."

With jerking movements, the attendant weaved through the crowd and walked toward the elevators.

“What floor?” Khlyen asked the nervous man. 

“Wh-what?”

“I don’t do elevators unless I have to,” Khlyen told him, keeping his voice calm so as not to spook the man, really just a boy,  further.

“Um, the floo-the num-, I can walk you down sir,” the boy stuttered and Khlyen waved him forward, a smirk forming at the boy’s nerves once his back was turned.

Stairs twisted down and down, the attendant breathing heavy at the bottom but still holding the door for Khlyen who breezed past him. He let the young man catch his breath and surveyed the vehicles in front of him. 

“Sir, I’ll pull your car around,” the boy said once he could breathe normally.

The flashy car the attendant brought made him prickle with annoyance and he growled while the boy cowered.

“I don’t know who told you to pick that one but I suggest another,” he said through clenched teeth.

The car in front of him was a brand new, shiny, red, mustang convertible with chrome details, wire rim wheels, and a black leather interior. Everything about the car screamed crisis. Khlyen crossed his arms as the attendant stammered on about managers and trade in policies until the boy at last took a breath.

“I will speak to a manager if that will speed this up but I'm not driving out of this garage in that," he said, his tight smile betraying all the annoyance behind it. 

The attendant left and a few moments later a man dressed in a cheap black suit and crooked tie came over with a clipboard and determined look on his face.

"Mr. Alexander, the form was signed already so there isn't any..."

Khlyen walked away as the man continued speaking. At the end of the row of vehicles sat a dark blue sedan, so non descript as to be invisible, and he took a couple laps of the car to make sure there weren’t any obvious problems. Satisfied that it would suit his needs, Khlyen turned back to the man with the clipboard.

"I'll take this one," Khlyen said with a nod, "unless we have a problem?"

The shorter man looked between the car and the man standing next to it and swallowed whatever he would have said next.

"Let me grab the paperwork," Mr. Keegan said, trying to keep his voice cheerful and failing miserably.

Ten minutes later, Khlyen adjusted his rear view mirror to watch the road behind him, pulled out of the parking garage, and sped off into the night. 

He pulled into the dark driveway of his new house two and a half hours later and took a deep breath. His gps said one hour fifteen  minutes but it didn't take into account the freeway accident halfway to the house. He needed coffee and a shower to keep functioning. He'd rather sleep but there was one more task he needed to finish before he could lie down.

The furnishing crew had been there for two days and setting up the house to Khlyen's specifications, from kitchen to basement. He placed his carry on bag on the kitchen counter and pulled out a small black box and a roll of blue tape. Flipping the switch on the side of the box, he went room to room, locating every planted bug he could find and marking the location with a piece of the tape. 

_ Fuck this day. At least let my bed be set up. _

His bedroom had enough listening devices for him to wonder about what exactly the CIA thought would happen while he slept. 

_ At least the bed is set up,  _ he thought before heading onto the next room. 

Checking the attic last, he placed a piece of tape next to the drop down ladder and turned off the tracker. He looked around his new house, the blue tape standing out from the white walls in almost every room and sighed. 

_ I’ll deal with this tomorrow,  _ he thought before tucking the tracker into his bag and heading to his room. 

The next morning, after breakfast, he introduced his new walls to his old friend, the sledgehammer. He spent the rest of the morning tearing up the drywall to find all the listening devices. Whoever he used to be, he wasn't an agent any more and he had no intention of letting them continue to run his life.. The swing of the sledgehammer, the crash of the drywall as it crumbled, and the crunch of the little wire gadgets under his feet gave him the first moments of pleasure he'd felt in a while. Khlyen needed it and he needed to send the message if he ever wanted to feel like a free man again. He snapped out of his reverie by a faint knock on his front door. 

Checking the peephole, he realized these must be neighbors, come to welcome the new man on the block and gather intel. Looking around at his demolished walls and at his dust covered jacket and trousers, he shrugged and opened the door. 

The couple in front of him hid their discomfort at his appearance well, with only a tightening of her eyes and the crossing of his arms to give off their nerves. 

"Hello, we're the Shao's from next door," the woman said, her tight smile matching her eyes, "we thought we might meet the family."

Khlyen brushed off his hand and held it out to her, "I'm Khlyen Alexander."

She shook his hand, "Noah."

Her husband followed with a swift handshake and a glance behind Khlyen into the disaster of his house. "I'm Vincent. You doing a little redecorating already?"

"I'm not a fan of walls," Khlyen said.

The couple exchanged a glance before Noah soldiered on. "How is your wife settling in?"

"I'm not married."

"Oh," Noah said, shuffling her feet. "With this neighborhood we just assume at this point."

"Ah."

Vincent tugged on his wife's arm. "Noah, lets let the man get back to work. It was nice to - I mean, have a nice day Mr. Alexander."

The couple hurried off and Khlyen took a quick glance up and down the street before shutting the door and smiling to himself. If the Shao's spread the word quickly enough, they would be the only nuisance to his day. His smile spread to a grin as he picked up the sledgehammer and headed for his bedroom.


	2. Protective Tendencies

Khlyen headed for the car as the quiet of the house pushed him into the night air once more. Driving away from the city and towards the coast, he let the winding roads of the country help clear his mind. He reached the beach, now devoid of anybody looking to catch a wave or a tan, and parked at his favorite stretch of sand. The ocean felt alive, each wave like a breath as it rushed toward him. Khlyen sat on the edge of the ocean, his knees drawn up to his chest, and contemplated the strangeness of his new life. Retirement should be easy but it clashed with the effort to remain anonymous. His first few days in the new house, Khylen demolished all the listening devices, fixed the walls, and invented new ways to avoid his neighbors who persisted in inviting him to everything. Some things about his new living situation _were_ easier to endure than others. He enjoyed the calm that settled over the normally bustling neighborhood when the sun disappeared. He enjoyed not being shot at on a regular basis. He felt the ocean work it’s magic on his nerves, bringing more peace as he sat and looked out to sea. He sat and pondered until a slight hint of red, marking the rising sun, broke over the edge of the horizon.

He took his time heading home. As he neared a gas station, the level of his tank convinced Khylen to stop and fill up. The only other vehicle at the station was a beat up station wagon sitting in the handicap parking spot with a piece of plastic replacing one of the back windows. Shaking his head, Khlyen grabbed the handle of the pump, cursing when he found it coated in oil. After filling his tank, Khlyen locked the car and wandered inside, the smell of oil clinging to his hands. Locating the restroom in the back of the shop, he went to wash up.

Turning the faucet to hot, Khlyen slid his hands under the trickling water and looked in the mirror.

 _I look like hell,_ he thought.

The lines on his face deepened as he frowned, and the bags under his eyes spoke of too many sleepless nights. He wondered how long he could keep up this charade of mediocrity. Hands clean and mood black, Khlyen walked to the exit. As his hand touched the handle, a muffled moan echoed in the still room.

He paused, turning around slowly and looking at the seemingly empty room before heading toward the row of stalls with quiet steps. A shuffling in the back row caught Khlyen’s acute attention and an angry whisper to shut up directed him to the handicap stall at the back.. The whimpering came from the same place. A growing anger built in his gut at the implications. He took a steady breath to control his temper as he approached the door.

Knocking on the door, he asked "Hello, are you alright in there?"

"Fuck off." Came the reply and Khlyen gritted his teeth.

He yanked the door open, scraping metal as the lock bent. He looked down at the three figures occupying one stall. A man and two children were crammed into the space and the man had his hand clamped tight over one of the boys mouth. The other boy pressed farther into the back wall and whimpered. Bruises covered the older child's face and arms, poorly hidden beneath a tattered long sleeve shirt. A trickle of blood leaked from a cut along his hairline.

"I said to - "

Khlyen didn't let him finish speaking. Grabbing the boy's shirt so as not to further bruise him, Khlyen dragged the injured child away from the cursing man and pushed him out the door. The smaller boy scuttled across the floor and grabbed a hold of his brother who moved into a protective stance.

"Boys, I need you to go out to the car and not come back," Khlyen said, staring down at the man in front of him and clenching his fists.

His mind told him to hit fast and hard and not stop till the man lay dead.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” the man spat.

He tried to push past but Khylen stood firmly in the doorway, not moving and not speaking. He could feel anger burning through his body, touching every nerve and begging for a fight. The man in front of him deserved a taste of his own medicine.

“Get out of my fucking way,” the man said, spitting his words and shoving into Khlyen again. This time Khlyen shoved back, pushing the man into the wall of the restroom and holding him there by the throat.

“You are not going to go near those boys again,” Khlyen growed, his restraint holding on by the barest thread.

The man tried to speak and Khlyen tightened his hold on the man’s throat.

“Nod that you understand,” Khlyen said.

The man nodded. Releasing the man’s throat, Khlyen stepped back and stood in the doorway. Pressing himself against the back wall, the smaller man rubbed his throat and glared. Khlyen watched the play of emotions across the man’s face with a dispassionate expression, waiting. The man charged. Stepping out of the way, Khlyen allowed the man to barrel right into the wall at full speed.. He watched the man drop to the dirty bathroom floor and walked out. Borrowing a phone from the curious clerk, Khlyen called the police.

 

"Sir, I will need you to come down to the station to give a proper statement," the young officer said, his military haircut and stance marking him as an ex-soldier.

Khlyen kept expecting him to end each sentence with a salute. Nodding his consent, Khlyen’s eyes tracked the other officers as they handcuffed the man on the floor. When they finished securing the handcuffs, Khlyen followed the waiting policeman outside, his eyes squinting at the now risen sun. The boys stood next to their car, another officer guarding them and keeping them far away from their father. Looking at the restrained man and back at the boys, Khlyen walked over to the two children and kneeled down.

“Are you both alright?” he asked with a gentle voice.

The older boy stared and said nothing, his eyes angry and confused. The younger boy gave his brother a pat on the hand and walked over to Khlyen.

Holding out his small hand, the little boy said, “I’m Johnny. What’s your name?”

With slow movements, Khlyen took the small boy’s hand. “My name’s Khlyen.”

Johnny nodded and then released his hand and looked back at his brother. “That’s Davin.”

Khlyen looked at the older boy and said, “Hello, Davin.”

The older boy said nothing, keeping his eyes on the ground and wrapping his arms tight around his chest. The officer standing with them put his hand on the older boys shoulder and motioned for Johnny.

“We have to go to the police station just for a moment boys,” the officer told them, “and afterwards we will find you a place to stay.”

Khylen watched the boys walk off, keeping his eyes on them until they were safe in the car. Turning to stare at their father, Khlyen let every ounce of anger he had toward the man show on his face, a slight smile curving his lips as the man drew back in fear.

 _Coward,_ Khlyen thought.

“Sir, if you could meet us at the station, we will go over your statement.” The officer at his elbow said with a nod toward Khlyen’s waiting car.

With a final look at the boys, Khlyen walked to his car, waiting for the rest of the cars to depart before starting the engine.

When he arrived at the station a young stylish woman directed him to one of the interrogation rooms.

“Can I get you some water?” the woman asked/

“I’d take coffee if you have any,” Khlyen said, his body tired from the long night on the beach and quietly panicking at the thought of being shut in this room.

Taking deep breaths to calm his mind, Khlyen took a seat at the table and looked down at his hands. They shook at the stress from the gas station catching up to him.

The pretty woman came back in with coffee.

"I'm sorry it's not the best," she apologized as she handed over the cup, "probably a rule somewhere that cops can't make good coffee."

Khlyen shrugged. "I'm sure I've had worse."

"Well, okay then," she said with a small smile, "An office should be here shortly."

Khlyen nodded and sipped at his coffee - the woman was right about the quality - and wondered if the boys were already being interviewed. Being in this small room without the force of the CIA behind him was more intimidating than he wanted to admit.

 _So much for keeping my head down_ , Khlyen thought, taking another sip from the styrofoam cup.

They kept him waiting for thirty minutes before a knock at the door drew his full attention. A large man in a leather jacket stepped in.

"Hello Mr. Alexander," the large man said, "I'm Detective Joe Siano and I'll be asking you a few questions."

"That's why I've been waiting," Khlyen said, his tone tight..

"Well let's get down to it then," Joe said with an easy smile, "can you tell me what happened at the gas station this morning?"

Khlyen sighed, straightened his back and said, "I was out for a drive when I pulled into the gas station to fill up. I went to the restroom to wash my hands and heard a noise. When I pulled open a stall door, I saw the man and his two children. The older boy was bruised and bleeding and the younger one was obviously frightened. I separated the boys from their father and sent them to call the police."

Sitting back in his chair, Khlyen waited for the man to ask another question. Joe didn't disappoint.

"Do you know how the father came by his injuries?"

Looking the detective in the eye, Khlyen deliberately said, "he fell down."

The detective stared back, his eyes searching for something that he must have found because the big man smiled and nodded.

Joe wrote a few more notes in his book, stating out loud, "witness states that the accused is very clumsy."

Standing up, Joe held out his hand to Khlyen who hesitated before standing and taking the handshake.

"Thank you for your cooperation and, off the record, that bastard will get what’s coming to him," Joe told him.

"What's going to happen to the boys?" Khlyen asked.

"They'll stay the night in a home and then we'll place them in foster care," Joe said, "he won't touch them again."

Khlyen nodded, a knot in his stomach tightening for some unknown reason. Joe led him from the room and left him to find his own way out. On his way out, Khlyen searched the lobby for any sign of Johnny or Davin. The young woman from earlier now stood behind a counter and motioned him over.

"You helped those two kids we brought in right? I wanted to let you know that the boys were taken to a group home after questioning," she said with a smile, "I figured you'd want to know they were safe.”

"Thank you," Khlyen said with an answering smile, "will there be a way that I can check up on them, make sure they're alright?"

"I’m not sure but I can ask," the woman said and walked off.

Khlyen stood at the counter with his arms crossed, giving off his best - don't mess with me - look and waited. Two young detectives walked behind the counter and Khlyen leaned slightly to the left to pick up their conversation.

"Those boys have had a rough time of it, Dutch but it's not our problem," the man said, "we got our own work to do."

"I know, I know," Dutch said with a sigh, "it’s not fair  is all. I mean think about it, Lee, they finally get free from that brute and the first thing foster care will do is split them up."

"Get your head off it," Lee said, "it's not like you have time to foster a couple of traumatized boys."

"True enough. I am allowed to have feelings though Lee. We can’t all be like you.”

“You mean handsome and smart? It’s a curse but I live with it. Come on Dutch, I've got coffee; let's roll," the man answered.

Khlyen leaned back, his mind racing at what the woman had said. The uneasy feeling in his stomach grew. He watched the two detectives leave the building as the young woman he'd been talking to earlier came back.

"Sir, I'm sorry but we’ve been told no information about the boys is to be given to someone unrelated."

"I need to make a call," Khlyen told her and at her blank expression he clarified. "Can I use a phone?"

The woman giggled. "Oh yeah, of course. I mean, people usually have cell phones is all. There’s a payphone around the corner"

Khlyen ignored her, a plan forming in his mind as he walked away.


	3. Decisions Made

Sunlight glinted off dust motes in the air and inane chatter swirled around the police station like air currents. Time crawled with slow heavy ticks of the clock.

**Please hold, we will be with you shortly.**

Khlyen sat next to the front counter in and felt his patience dwindling with each new song coming from the phone.  Watching the busy station go about its business, he tried to imagine how infuriating a job so limited by strict procedure must be. Rows of desks held stacks of paperwork, blinking computers, and quite a number of donuts and coffee cups. Officers bickered about bear claws or gathered around white boards to discuss the day’s schedule. Ignoring the chaos would have been impossible so Khlyen picked out Joe Siano in the crowd and watched him work. People liked the big man, that was obvious, but his path around the office showed exactly why. Joe ingratiated himself with both the older officers as well as the younger ones. He had jokes and stories for everyone and asked after family members with genuine interest. Khlyen followed the big man as he sat at a far desk and started in on paperwork, a profile building in his mind. A voice on the other end of the phone interrupted his musings.

"This is the regional office of Clem and Co. How may we direct your call?"

"Keera, it's me, Khlyen," he said with a quick look around to see if anyone was close enough to hear him. 

The line buzzed with static of a moment before Keera spoke, "How did you get this line?"

"I'm observant," he told her. "This isn't a social call though. I need to know if you can put a tracker on a case Ventura Social Services is handling at the moment?"

"I can put a tracker on anything, Khlyen," she retorted. "The only question is why would I?"

"Because you know very well I had nothing to do with your demotion, Keera."

"You may not have orchestrated it, but you didn't step in to stop it either," she said, her voice a hiss in his ear.

"If I had stepped in, there was a bigger chance of them firing you instead of demoting you."

He heard her breathing stutter so he continued: "And I know you have a soft spot for kids so I wouldn’t have called anyone else. You would still be in Argentina instead of behind a desk if you didn’t.” 

He knew he was laying the manipulation on thick but he didn’t have time for anything else.

Static played over the line as Khlyen waited for his answer.

"Fine," she said at last. "This one thing and then you don't call me again, Khlyen. I'm in enough shit as it is and I don't need Director Hill paying me a visit here in Durango Colorado."

"Fine."

"What's the name on the file?" she asked, furious clicking from her keyboard coming through the phone. 

"Davin Jaqobis and Johnny Jaqobis," Khlyen said, "I need a note added to their file that they are not to be split up. I'd also like access to any changes in their situation."

"Right," she said with a snort. "What did these kids do? Throw a ball through your window?"

"They've been through a tough situation,” Khlyen replied dryly. “I don't want them lost in the system. You just make sure I can find them if something happens okay?"

"Sir, yes, sir," Keera said, sarcasm coating her words. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"Take care Keera, and thank you," he said and placed the phone back on it's stand with a gentle click.

The bustle of the police station rushed back to him as he stood, noise filling the gaps left from the tense phone call. Keera's bitterness saddened him but at least he now had the satisfaction of knowing the boys would be watched over.

He walked out into the bright sunny day. The palm trees waving in the breeze seemed to usher the crowds forward on their way to work.

Life goes on, Khlyen thought with a shake of his head.

The drive home felt short, his mind occupied with the events of the morning than the traffic around him. Khlyen arrived at his house just as  Noa Shao pulled out of her garage, no doubt on her way to lunch with her friends. He surprised her with a wave goodbye and his smile at her shocked face almost made her back into her trash cans. Once she cleared her driveway, Noa waved and smiled back before driving off. With the excitement of the day behind him he felt exhaustion seep into his body. As he opened the door to his house, Khlyen felt a sense of relief wash over him and he found himself happy to be home. And happy to be away from the bustle of the world outside. He headed for the bedroom, his body tired but his mind buzzing from the events of the day. Collapsing on his bed with a groan and covering his eyes with a nearby pillow, Khlyen thought of the look in Johnny’s eyes as he’d introduced himself, so full of light and wonder. Both boys were too innocent for such an ordeal and Khlyen took pride in the knowledge that neither child would be in that situation again.  He kicked his shoes off at the foot of the bed, curling into the soft comforter and falling asleep with a pleased smile.

 

Thoughts on the boys and their situation filled his mind as the days past. Khlyen wondered how they were doing and where the system might place them as he went about his routine. Breakfast led to pondering about what kind of cereal kids ate these days. Trips to the nearby supermarket found him watching parents interact with their children to differing degrees of success. One bright afternoon while taking his normal walk around the neighborhood, Khlyen stopped to watch a couple of kids throw a football in their front yard. The two sandy haired boys were obviously brothers and the older one seemed to be teaching the younger boy how to throw the ball properly. His mind wandered to what kind of sports might interest Davin. A quick movement in front of him captured his attention and Khlyen put his hands out just in time to catch the wayward football. 

"Hey man, can we have our ball back?"

Khlyen threw it to the closest kid, the ball spiraling with perfect accuracy in the air before landing in the boy's hands with a smack. The boy grinned, the gap in his teeth giving him a mischievous look.

"Woah, where’d you learn to throw like that?"

“Mostly college,” Khlyen said. 

A loud penetrating voice from the house interrupted any further explanation.

"What are you doing with my kids?" 

Khlyen looked up to see a woman standing on her porch with her hands on her hips, her leopard printed yoga pants blinding him. A leash dangled from her hand, connected to what looked like an oversized hairless rat. The ‘dog’  growled at him before hiding behind it's mistresses leg.

"I was passing by on my walk is all, ma'am," Khlyen said, hoping his smile would put the glaring woman at ease, "they lost control of their football and I passed it back, no harm meant."

The woman came forward, her  horribly clothed legs swishing audibly while the mongrel scampered to keep up with her pace. As she neared the fence, Khlyen watched her face turn from menacing to charming and dread filled his mind.

_ Just be polite and get out of here as soon as you can.  _

"Oh I didn't know it was our newest neighbor. You moved into the old Martell place right?" she asked, flashing a set of bleach white teeth at him. Her perfume wafted into his face as she moved closer, the cloying smell assaulting his senses. It took every ounce of his training not to visibly gag.

Khlyen took a few steps back, grateful for the fence between him and this odious woman. 

_ Fuck fuck fuck, this is not where I want to be right now _

"I did," He answered.

"Well I am sorry we never got a chance to come say ‘hi’," the woman drawled "I've just been so busy with my divorce. These court battles are always a headache. Sometimes I wish there was an easier way you know? Find a little cottage by the beach, throw out all the rules, be one with the world, you know?  Are you married Mr...?

"Alexander, Khlyen Alexander," he said, not bothering to hold out his hand, "and I never bothered with marriage."

The woman threw her head back, laughing with a high pitched cackle. "Aren't you a smart one! I'm Bliss and my two boys, Hayden and Bryton. Would you like to come in for some ice tea? I'm certain we could find * **something*** to talk about while the boys play with their little ball."

Her smile looked predatory, and her eyes sparkled with barely contained lust. Khlyen suppressed a shudder before smiling.

"Maybe some other time, Ms. Bliss," he said with a shake of his head. "Have a nice day."

"Oh, it's just Bliss, no need for formality here, Khlyen," she said with a try-too-hard  sexy pout. "I hope to see more of you in the neighborhood." 

_ Within reach of her acrylic nails, she probably meant. _

Khlyen gulped but didn't say anything else and gave a small wave to the playing boys behind her. They waved back with matching smiles and he headed for home at a jog. The interaction, at least the pleasant bit with the boys, played in his head as he ran up to his front door. Thoughts of the Jaqobis brothers had always occupied his mind since he saved them but he hadn't realized how bad the distraction had grown. Yesterday he'd even stood in front of his second bedroom and wondered how the boys would decorate it and if they'd want bunk beds. He’d almost looked up the nearest IKEA before he’d snapped out of it.

Grabbing a towel, Khlyen draped it over his shoulders and sat down to check his email for updates on the boys. He should have known that Keera would find a way to contact him that didn't involve the phone but the first message in his inbox had surprised him. Since then, he'd been receiving regular emails. They usually read as nothing further to report though lately, it seemed like Davin was in a fight every other day.

{Jaqobis Update: Davin has been marked as a problem child for repeated fights in the group home. Johnny is scheduled to foster with a local family. Davin will be transferred to a behavioral health center. Both boys remain healthy.}

"Fuck," he said. 

Hitting the reply button, Khlyen wrote a quick message to Keera asking for the phone number of the boys' caseworker. Running to his room to change, his mind raced.

_ What are you doing? You can't possibly be thinking of this. You don't know the first thing about foster care.  _

He knew if he needed to, he could find another family but he didn't want to. He already knew he needed to take care of the boys himself. He’d been considering this in the back of his mind ever since he’d come home that fateful morning. Slipping into his gray slacks and white button up, Khylen paused and looked in the mirror to find a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

_ I want to do this, _ he thought and at last let himself smile at the decision.

He finished getting dressed and headed back downstairs. Hitting the refresh button on his email, Khlyen opened the new message from Keera and wrote down the number to one Bellus Hardy. The first number he dialed however, was not for Ms. Hardy but for someone a little more intimidating.

It took twenty minutes to reach an assistant and two minutes of veiled threats before Khlyen reached Deputy Director Hills.

"Khlyen, this better be important," Hills said with a cough, "I am holding up a very important meeting for this."

"I need a favor," Khlyen told him, "and I'll point out that if I don't get this favor, I'll take great pains to make myself even more of a headache for you."

"Fuck you, Khlyen. I should have had one of my new recruits put you out of my misery ages ago."

"Oh come now, Hills," Khlyen smirked. "You know better than to make threats you can't carry out. It's a simple favor and one you might even approve of."

Hills snorted. "I'll believe that when I hear it."

"I want to pull some strings with child protective services and get John and Davin Jaqobis turned over to me for foster care."

The silence on the line stretched like a thin rubber band until Hill coughed again. "You want to get into foster care?"

"Yes."

"You?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Hills, I don't have time for this," Khlyen huffed. "They are going to split the boys up and tomorrow might be too late. Can you do this for me or not?"

The Deputy Director chuckled, clearly amused at the idea of Khlyen caring for children. "Of course I can. It also might keep you out of trouble which is a good enough reason for me. Let me make a few calls."

Khlyen sighed. "How long will this take?"

"Patience, Khlyen, you’ll need it. I can have the paperwork sent to their caseworker in the next two hours."

"Thank you, I'll take a couple favors off your tab."

Hills scoffed. “You’ve got that the wrong way around, Khlyen!”

Hanging up the phone before Hills could curse at him again, Khlyen turned back to his computer and set a timer for two hours. Picking up his notepad, Khlyen leaned back in the chair and started making a list of everything the two boys might need, starting with bunk beds.

  
  



	4. Gaining Custody

His hands shook as he backed out of his driveway and headed to the group home. Gripping the steering wheel with nervous tension, he focused on the road ahead and ran the list of supplies through his mind to keep him from reviewing all the ways this could go wrong. The boys didn't know who was coming to pick them up. Khlyen didn't know if they would even want to come with the man that had had their father arrested. He arrived at the group home with his nerves barely under control. Khlyen pulled into the drive and parked outside the main gate. The leather of the steering wheel creaked and he released it with a deep breath. 

The sign in front read "Second Chance Youth Facility" and he snorted with disgust at the cheery name for such a drab gray building. He walked to the gate and pushed the buzzer, slipping his hands into his pockets as he waited for the gate to open. He began to pace past the barren playground, visible through the bars surrounding the entire facility. He frowned at the stark emptiness of the place. The front door opened and a woman dressed in a dark brown suit walked towards the gate. Khlyen determined this must be Bellus from the phone conversation he had with her earlier.

 

* _ Flashback* _

Khlyen filled out his list, took a shower, checked the timer, made a quick snack, and checked the timer again. At the first beeping signal, Khlyen grabbed the phone and dialed the number for the boy's case worker. The pad with his scribbled notes sat in front of him, a list of furniture alongside possible renovations to the house.

"This is Bellus Hardy, how can I help you?"

"Hello. This is Khlyen Alexander. I’ve been approved to foster the Jaqobis brothers. When is a good time to swing by the group home to pick them up?"

There was a couple beats of silence before the woman answered, "I'm sorry, that case is confidential. Who told you about the Jaqobis brothers? How did you get this number?"

"I'm sure if you check the case file it will say exactly who I am and why the boys are being placed in my care immediately."

More silence answered him but Khlyen kept calm and surveyed the list in his hands to make sure he wasn't missing anything. 

When she picked up the phone again, Bellus sounded very confused. "Mr. Alexander, it says you’re approved with a rush order from the State Department. This is freaking weird."

"I apologize for my methods, Ms. Hardy, but I decided a speedy response was important," Khlyen said, putting every ounce of sincerity and regret in his voice that he could muster.

"Why do I always get stuck with the strange ones?" She asked herself.

Wisely, Khlyen stayed silent. There were noises like shuffling paper, crinkling plastic and drawers being slammed as she muttered under her breath a number of unflattering things towards her supervisor before  addressing him again.

"With any other case I would investigate this further," she said tightly. "But I don't think splitting the boys up is a good idea and no one is listening to me. So while this is all very outside my understanding, I'm not asking questions."

"I appreciate that," Khlyen told her. And he meant it.

"Just get here before six so I won't have too much time to change my mind," Bellus said and hung up on him. 

"And goodbye to you," Khlyen said to the droning phone.

* _ End Flashback* _

 

Bellus walked with determination, her stride never faltering as she approached the gate. "Mr. Alexander, I presume?"

Khlyen nodded. "You must be Ms. Hardy. I hope I'm still on time?"

Bellus opened the gate and waved him through. "You are. I talked with the boys a bit about the situation and they're relieved not to be split up. I'm pretty happy about it myself though I gotta say, the circumstances make me jumpy."

Following Bellus into the house, Khlyen tried to keep his voice steady as the door closed behind him. "I can understand your concern but there's no need for it. I just want what's best for the boys."

She stopped and fixed him with a withering stare. "Mr. Alexander, let me make myself clear: if I find anything suspicious, I will pull those boys out and have you locked up faster than you can say ‘misunderstanding’, got it?"

"I got it," Khlyen said, his eyes never leaving hers. 

Bellus blinked. "All right, well don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for what you are doing, Mr. Alexander. And I am sure the brothers will be grateful, too."

She pointed to a small table next to the wall. "There is still some paperwork that needs handling before you can legally become guardian of the boys. You fill everything out and I'll go get Davin and Johnny."

Khlyen gave and absentminded nod as he sat down to the stack of paperwork while Bellus left him, presumably going into the main part of the house. Forms of consent, lists of agreed responsibilities, proof of insurance, all the information he’d always avoided leaving behind; everything needed for a thorough paper trail should anyone try to find him. Looking from the stack of papers to the door leading to the rest of the house, to Johnny and Davin, Khlyen realized this was his last moment to back out of this decision. He grabbed the first sheet of paper from the stack and signed his name. There was no turning back now. 

  
  


Johnny knocked on his brother's door but entered without waiting for a response. He found Davin sitting on the bed and throwing an old brown baseball into the air. Davin’s feet dangled off the edge and his eyes followed the ball's path intently. They weren’t supposed to have yard equipment in their rooms but Johnny wasn’t going to say anything.

"Are we really going to leave, Dav?" Johnny asked, his voice high with excitement. 

Walking to the bed and standing next to Davin, Johnny tried to grab the ball away but Davin’s arms were longer and he caught it easily before Johnny could reach. 

Davin laughed and looked down at his grinning brother. "That's what they're saying. You got your bag?"

Johnny held up a white plastic bag. "Got it. Who do you think it is?"

"Doesn't matter, Johnny," Davin said, jumping off the bed and grabbing his own bag of state issued essentials. "We won't be there long."

“Why do you say that? Maybe they’ll want to keep us.”

Johnny dropped his bag and jumped up on the bed, bouncing with glee at the prospect of a new home while Davin tried to grab him. Catching him at last, Davin pulled him off the bed and tried to settle him down.

“That’s not how this works,” Davin said, “We don’t get a say, anyway.”

Johnny frowned and looked down at his shoes. Davin never liked being placed in foster care, said no one would keep two boys for long, said that Johnny always got too attached. Johnny didn’t like the group homes though. Davin always got into fights with the bigger boys. He wanted to tell Davin that he shouldn’t fight but his brother never listened to him. 

Davin gave the ball one final throw into the corner of his room and threw his arm around his brother. "Come on, let's go see if Bellus is ready for us."

Bellus stood outside, her back against the wall and her arms crossed. Davin moved to stand in front of Johnny out of instinct and Bellus smiled sadly at the gesture. 

"Come on boys," she said, waving her hand. "He's waiting."

"Who is he? What's he look like? Is he nice?"

Bellus laughed at Johnny's barrage of questions. "You'll have to see for yourself. He looks human enough, not at all like an alien. You will have to find out yourselves though, huh?” She became serious. “He seems pretty nice so you be on your best behavior, all right?"

Davin shook his head and pulled Johnny back, repeating his earlier warning,. "Don't get any ideas, J, we won't be there long.” Davin knew his brother’s enthusiasm wasn’t a bad thing but watching it disappear when their father came back hurt worse than any punch.

"You could be wrong though, right?" Johnny asked, the hopeful question tugging at Davin’s conscience. 

"J, they’ve never lasted."He said softly, as if he could cushion the weight of his words.

They walked for a minute in silence as Johnny thought about Davin’s answer.

“Maybe he will though," Johnny said at last with a pat to Davin's hand, a grin spreading across his face.

Davin sighed in defeat.

"Yeah, Johnny. Maybe he will." Davin didn’t believe it but for now he would keep quiet for Johnny’s sake.

Davin thought about their dad and his habit of never staying away too long. He thought about how long they would have before he came for them. He would say he was sorry and be good for a few weeks. They would get treats and presents, promises of better times and then he would start drinking and they would be right where they started. Johnny still had hope though and today Davin wouldn't destroy that happiness with reality. 

  
  


Khlyen signed the last form, turned it to the done pile, and looked up to an empty room. The quiet atmosphere disturbed him, the lack of mayhem in a house full of children felt uncomfortable to his way of thinking.

He walked to the door he'd seen Bellus pass through, looking through the small window and searching for a sign of anyone else. The gray hallway looked empty and with a glance at his watch, Khlyen gathered that everyone must be in the dining hall. He tried the handle and wondered if it was worth it to break the lock.

As he was debating on how expensive it would be to replace the door if he broke it down, Bellus came around the corner with Johnny and Davin following right behind her. The boys carried matching grocery bags and ran to keep up with the swiftly moving woman. Khlyen stood back so she could open the door. 

Davin stayed with Bellus, hiding behind the woman while Johnny ran forward with a smile for the man waiting in the hallway. 

"Khyen!" Johnny said in breathless excitement. "Are we staying with you now?"

Khlyen's throat tightened and all he could do was nod as the little boy wrapped his arms around his leg and hugged him. Noticing Bellus shake her head and smile, Khlyen waited for a comment but she only prodded Davin toward his brother. Shrugging off the woman's hand, Davin walked over to Johnny and pulled him away from Khlyen.

"Let go," Davin said. "Don't bother him with that."

"But Davin, it's Khlyen! You don’t have to worry."

"Shut up, Johnny."

Khlyen frowned at the older boy's harsh words but with so much anger and mistrust radiating off the older boy, he left the boy alone and said nothing. It felt far safer to feel anger instead of fear or hope, something Khlyen understood well. Turning to Bellus, he held out his hand.

"Thank you for your help," Khlyen said with a small smile. "I suppose you will be in touch?"

"I'll be watching you, Mr. Alexander," Bellus told him, "Don't make me regret this, all right?"

She shook his hand briefly before disappearing through the door and Khlyen found himself left with two kids looking up at him. Khlyen had gone through rigorous CIA training and knew how to stand up to all forms of interrogation but the blue eyes looking up at him now could have forced all his secrets from him. 

Khlyen dropped down on one knee to look Johnny in the eyes. "I know you weren’t asked so I’m asking, all right: are you okay with staying with me for a while?"

Looking at his brother and then to Khlyen again, Johnny nodded. "Yeah, it's okay."

Khlyen, still kneeling, looked up at Davin. "Are you okay with that, too?"

Davin shrugged. "Sure, it really doesn't matter."

"I can work with that," Khylen said, giving the sullen boy a smile, swallowing his anger. 

He walked them to the car, Johnny skipping a few steps ahead before stopping and waiting for Khlyen and Davin to catch up. His boundless energy captivated Khlyen and he laughed as Johnny raced ahead and began spinning in circles. Davin kept his distance, making sure to stay away from Khlyen while still keeping an eye on his brother.

Reaching the car, Khlyen helped Johnny buckle up and checked to make sure Davin was buckled as well.

"We have some shopping to do before I take you home," Khlyen told them as he climbed into the vehicle and fastened his own seat belt. "And then I was thinking dinner. What would you like?"

Johnny's face scrunched up as he thought but Davin ignored the question, playing with the window controls instead. 

"Pizza?" Johnny asked, his voice quavering on the question like he wasn't sure he should have answered. 

Pulling out into the road, Khlyen said, "Pizza sounds good to me. Is it all right if we get the shopping done first?"

"Yeah," Johnny said with wide grin and relaxed into his seat.

Davin shrugged and rolled the window up again. Deciding that for now the boy could keep to his coping mechanisms, Khlyen gave Johnny a return smile in return and headed for the shopping plaza. 

 

_ Three hours later. _

 

Carrying Johnny into the house while Davin followed along behind him with shopping bags, Khlyen motioned the older boy into the living room and continued on up the stairs to his bedroom. He placed the worn out child on his bed, slipping off Johnny's shoes and pulling the covers over him. It seemed unreal that all of the boy's energy from a few hours before now lay still and sleeping. 

"He still asleep?" Davin asked.

Khlyen looked behind him to see Davin in the doorway. "Yeah, he's out for the night. You should be getting to sleep as well."

Davin looked down at his feet, shuffling them as he tried to look uninterested. "Could I sleep in my new pajamas?"

Khlyen smiled. "Of course. Go grab them and I'll show you where the bathroom is."

Leaving Davin to change and wash up for bed, Khlyen dragged all the furniture in from the car and up the stairs to the boy's room. With everything still in boxes, he leaned the beds against the wall and left the desks and shelves on the floor. He pulled apart the boxes for the bunk beds, laying out the pieces in order and taking a quick trip down the stairs to grab his toolbox. When he heard the door to the bathroom open, Khlyen set down his tools and went to wish Davin a good night. Walking into his bedroom, he found Davin climbing into the bed with his batman pajamas on and his face freshly washed. 

"It's only for one night," Khlyen told him as he dragged the covers up to the boy’s chin."Your beds will be set up tomorrow and you and Johnny can help me put the other things together."

"Sure," Davin said, looking up at Khlyen and yawning. 

"Sleep tight, kiddo," Khlyen told him and walked to the door, hitting the light switch on his way out. 

He turned to look at the two boys, tucked under the covers of his bed, safe and sound, and felt his heart clench at the sight. It felt like the scariest thing he'd ever done. And also the first right thing he'd done in years.

Heading back to his project, Khlyen smiled as he recalled the harrowing shopping trip. Johnny pulled Davin in every direction to look at toys and games. At one point Khlyen had had to pull both boys away from a display of video games, but not without making a mental note of what games and systems they were interested in. He managed to get them focused enough to pick out pajamas and sheets before Johnny found a legos display with samples to play with. Yet somehow he couldn't manage to be irritated at the delays, the hand-me-down clothes they were wearing a constant reminder that they'd gone without for so long. Two boxes of legos came home with them and it felt like a victory to see Davin smile at the new toys. 

Getting food was another adventure as the brothers couldn't settle on what toppings they wanted, their only agreement being a loud: "no olives". Khlyen solved that problem by changing their order to three personal sized pizzas and letting each boy have his own. Full of food and worn out from excitement, Johnny had passed out in the back seat soon after he’d started up the car, while Davin chose to ride up front and gaze out the window. Khlyen let silence reign on the trip home, not willing to throw Davin back into his sullen attitude. The quiet boy next to him didn't look at him once but when they reached his new neighborhood, Davin sat up and gave a small smile. 

With the beds together, Khlyen walked to the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. He checked on the boys on his way past and grinned at the soft snores coming from his room. If this is what happiness meant for him, he'd take it. 

  
  



	5. Dutch's Date

"Dutch!"

Her head shot up from the desk and she groaned at the sight of Lee standing over her with a smirk. The last remnants of her dream faded, a mocking face and the slam of a prison cell door all she could remember as she shook off sleep.

"You're an asshole." Her face felt numb from resting on the cold metal of her desk and the noise of the police station beat a rhythm in her aching head. Dutch rubbed at her cheek and yawned 

"Where's the case report for that robbery from last week?" Lee reached for the pile of papers sitting on the edge of her desk and Dutch smacked his hand away. She pulled out the file and handed to him.

"My money's still on the slimy grandson with the drug problem. That's why she's dropping the case."

He smacked the back of her head with the file. "No one likes a smart ass, Dutch, even if you're right."

She grinned in triumph as he walked away. Turning back to her computer, Dutch sighed at the slow shuffle of pictures across the screen. One lousy fingerprint from the whole crime scene and at this point, she'd bet good money there wasn't a match.

**NO MATCH.**

_ Ah, there it is. _

Glancing at the clock, she stretched and stood up, hitting the shutdown button on her computer and grabbing her bag. No match usually meant first time offender, which meant waiting for the rest of the evidence to be processed, and that meant she could actually go home and change instead of rushing through it in the cramped station bathroom with horrid lighting.

"Where are you going, Detective Yardeen?"

Her spine stiffened and she turned to see Chief Turin standing behind her with his arms crossed. Taking the pinched frown and quirked eyebrow, Dutch guessed the answer wouldn't be 'home'. 

"The boys downstairs are still combing and cataloging my evidence so I was going to call it a day." She smiled brightly but it faded fast when Turin didn't smile back. 

"Follow me."

She put her bag back on her desk with and followed the older man into his office. He closed the door and the blinds and she tried to remember if she’d done  anything rebellious lately. 

"Sit down."

"Sir, what's this about? Am I not allowed to leave early?"

Turin waved his hand and shook his head, "I don't give a rats skinny ass about that. Are you still running that little defense class of yours?"

The question surprised her, she hadn't realized Turin even knew that his detectives had lives outside of the precinct. 

"Um, yeah. I still teach a class down at the local dojo."

"Good, good." He walked around his desk, picking up a photo and putting it down as if he could find the words he wanted to say beneath the frame. 

"Sir?"

"I have a niece and she's a good girl. She wants to be a doctor someday. She's been through a bit of a traumatic experience, nothing seriously life threatening but I think she understands the world's a scarier place than she once thought. Anyway, I'd thought you could put her in your class, teach her a few things to build her confidence."

Dutch blinked. "Why my class?"

Turin at last took a seat and looked at her properly. "Don't get me wrong: you're cocky, you think regulations are suggestions, and you're a general pain in my ass, but everyone around here knows you're the best hand to hand combatant we have.”

She hesitated in her response, images of a pampered teenager threatening her job flashing in her head.

After a moment, he added. “It'd be a favor to me."

“No.” His words sparked a long standing fire from her past and Dutch stood, her eyes blazing in anger. "I'll do it but you can shove your favor, sir. I am  _ not _ my father."

"I never said you were." Turin held his hands up, compassion flooding his eyes as he realized his blunder. "I meant you could ask for time off or a specific case you wanted. That's all."

Calming down, Dutch sat and wrapped her arms around herself. "Sorry sir. I didn't mean to-- "

"Yes you did," Turin said. He crossed his arms. "But it's fine. I get it."

"My next class is tomorrow at seven sharp. I'll see your niece there." She didn’t meet his eyes.

"Good. Now get out of my office."

She bolted before he could say anything else, grabbing her bag as she raced past her desk and out the door. If she hurried, she could take a quick shower before her date tonight. Her phone buzzed as Dutch climbed into her car. The name Cooper flashed on the screen and Dutch smiled.

- _ Sup gorgeous! Ready for this date tonight?-  _ Cooper

- _ I'm just getting off work. I'll see you at the clubhouse! _ \- Dutch

A short drive later, Dutch threw her car door shut and took the stairs to her apartment in two large leaps.

"Delle, are you home?” 

No one answered and Dutch growled before stripping as quickly as she could and stepping into the stall. Hot water was a precious commodity and she showered in record time, hoping she wouldn't be too late to her date.

As a member of the Ventura Country Club and Golf Course, Cooper often raved about the food, butt at this point, Dutch could eat anything so long as it wasn't moving. Hopping out of the shower, she twisted her hair up into a towel and wrapped another one around her waist while she moved back to her bedroom in search of her go- to dress. 

"Dutch, a towel is a little gouache for a country club don't you think?"

Turning around, Dutch stuck her tongue out at the gorgeous tall and poised woman currently staring down her nose at her.

"Delle, I am running late and don’t have time to throw sarcasm at you right now. Is it okay if I borrow those black pumps with the rhinestone straps?

“Delle immediately dropped her mean-girl demeanor and clapped her hands in excitement. "Of course, of course! Oh Dutch, a police officer in the country club. The old farts will be so mortified."

She ran to her room and flung open the closet while Dutch pulled the towel off her head and shook out her thick black hair. 

"I don't give a shit about them, just pray that Cooper isn't a total disaster," Dutch said with a flick of her towel towards her room mate. Delle held out the shoes, heels so expensive that Dutch could never justify buying them for herself. Luckily she and Delle wore the same shoe size and the giddy diva loved dressing Dutch up in anything else but her standard black jeans and white button down. 

"You behave yourself tonight, my darling." Delle blew her a kiss and headed for the living room.

"What are you up to tonight?" Dutch called after her.

"Not a damn thing.” She fell onto the couch, her voice raised to carry down the hallway. “Najik doesn't get back from Japan until tomorrow so I'm going to sit here in the biggest pair of sweatpants I own, grab the mint chocolate chip from the fridge and catch up on my shows."

"So you won't mind me texting you if the date becomes a disaster?" Dutch asked with a pleading face.

Delle sighed and waved her hand. "Of course not, so long as you find your own ride home cause I'm not leaving the couch."

"You're all heart, Delle."

Delle raised her wine glass in a salute, and pulled the remote out from between the cushions.

Slinky dress, killer heels, flawless makeup, and hair pulled back into a loose ponytail; Dutch threw a quick air kiss at her roommate, who pretended to catch it and throw it away, and headed out the door. 

The cab ride was necessary since showing up to the prestigious club in her beat up blue Toyota wasn't going to win her points with the rich snobs. 

_ Why do I even care? _

Dutch took a deep breath and focused on making the evening a positive one. It had been a while since she'd met anyone she didn't immediately want to disembowel with a salad fork. The cab driver stepped out and helped her from the car once they reached the club, his hands sweaty and his thin smile making her cringe. Thanking him for the ride, Dutch handed him a wad of bills and rushed into the club's main building. A group of older women dressed in varying pastel colored pantsuits stopped and stared at her, one in a pale yellow sniffing the air as if she had a cold before turning away. Dutch mentally flipped her off and looked around for Cooper. 

_ At least our first face to face meeting will be around plenty of people _ . 

"There is the Duchess of my dreams!"

She flinched. Turning around, she saw a tall synthetically tanned man with light brown hair waving at her and smiling with a set of bright white teeth. Everything about his appearance screamed fake. Taking a hold of her judgements, Dutch waved and did her best to smile back, her fingers crossed behind her back as she sent up a plea for good luck. 

“You look amazing,” Cooper said, his smile sickly sweet. “Just like you walked out of my dreams.”

“And yet I’m here and very real, I assure you.” Dutch quipped. His hand felt cold and limp against her elbow while led her to their table.

As she took her seat, Cooper laughed and the harsh bark made Dutch jump.

_ Wasn’t that funny, _ she thought, feeling her positive attitude slither away _. _

 

“So I told the old lady exactly who I was and she actually asked to come home with me! As if she was in any way attractive. Some people need to know when they are just not sexually viable anymore. You know what I mean? You must be hit on by so many sad individuals. I bet I can make up for what you’re lacking later huh?” He barked his loud laugh and took another sip from the expensive merlot he’d ordered for them both.

Dutch was frozen in confused horror. Her mind tried to comprehend exactly why she still sat here trying to think positive. It wasn’t happening. She wasn’t gonna waste another minute on this prick. Picking up her own glass of the thick, bitter wine, she stood and calmly poured it over his head. The room gasped as wine spilled down his face and into his suit jacket. 

“You’re right. Some people just don’t get they aren’t sexually viable..” Turning on her heel, Dutch shook off the tension built up in her shoulders from not punching the asshole and walked out of the restaurant. 

“Fuck you, bitch,” Cooper shouted after her. “I’m sure there’s a street corner somewhere that needs its hooker back.”

She didn’t react, just kept walking until she reached the curb and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed the cab company first, getting a car sent before hanging up and dialing Delle’s number.

“Hey sweetie, how’s it going?”

“Why do I like dudes? Why am I so attached to penis?”

“It went that well, huh?”

“He called me a hooker as I left. Classy, right?”

“What a fuck boy!” Delle giggled. "I say give us ladies a chance. They can make any penis you want these days.”

Dutch laughed. “As tempting as that is, I can’t just decide to be gay, babe. I’d date you in heartbeat if I could.”

“Course you would,” Delle said with a snicker. “And I’d get a show out of watching you and Najik fighting over me.”

But despite the jokes, Dutch was tired of the endless game. It shouldn't be so difficult to find a good-hearted man, not just someone looking to get laid. She saw the cab come around the corner and sucked in a breath, like she was about to start crying.

“Oh, honey.” Apparently she’d heard the hitch over the phone. “Come home and I’ll help you make a voodoo doll of the little prick and we’ll stomp it under our combat boots okay?”

“Okay.” Dutch sniffed, calming down. “The cab's here so I should be home soon.”

"See you soon.”

Dutch clicked her phone off and waved at the taxi driver pulling up in front of her. She collapsed onto the back seat and rattled off her address. Was she ever going to catch a break? She pressed her forehead to the cool glass of the window as the car moved forward. 

_ Men suck. _

  
  



	6. Adventures in Babysitting

The buzzing of his phone in his back pocket pulled Khlyen away from the boys and their current Lego project (which seemed to be finding out how tall they could stack the colorful blocks before the whole thing fell over). He reached the kitchen before answering.

“How did you get this number?” Khlyen asked, not bothering with niceties.

“Nice to hear your voice too boss,” a male voice said sarcastically, “and you know I have connections.”

“Then I suggest you disconnect them and move on.”

“Don’t be like that,” the man said quickly, “I’m not calling to cause trouble. I see you got a nice little family set up there.”

“If you come near here, I will slide a knife into your lungs and watch you drown in your own blood.”

Khlyen took a deep breath away from the phone speaker. Anger and fear still simmered in his blood but he kept his voice under control; not wanting to waste energy by losing his temper during a phone call.

“I wouldn’t hurt your family Khlyen, I’m offended you’d even think that!”

“King, I don’t make idle threats.”

“We need to meet.”

“What did I just say?”

“No, not at your place! Meet me a few streets down and I’ll take it from there. I won’t say more on the phone.”

_ Click. _

Khlyen held the phone in his hand and stared at the bright screen. No good could come of King’s visit but a voice in the back of his mind told him that he at least owed the man a face to face meeting. He sighed and walked to the fridge, looking for the brochure of the neighborhood babysitting phone tree and dialing the number for an appointment.

 

“Why are you leaving?”

“When will you be back?”

“Why do I need a babysitter?”

“Boys, enough,” Khlyen said, grabbing his jacket and turning to the two pouting boys standing by the staircase. “It shouldn’t be more than a few hours and I expect you to be on your best behavior.”

“I’m old enough to watch Johnny,” Davin said, leaning against the staircase with his arms crossed. He’d been moody and sulking since Khlyen had told the boys he needed to leave for a few hours.

Dropping to one knee in front of the prickly child, Khlyen placed his hands on Davin’s shoulders and looked up into his eyes. “No, you aren’t. Just because you were left alone with Johnny in the past doesn’t mean it’s right. Do you understand?”

Looking over at his brother, Davin furrowed his brow but nodded. Sometimes Khlyen wondered if the boy would ever stop seeing Johnny as his responsibility and start acting like a child again. There were occasional glimpses of Davin breaking out of his big brother protective role but they never lasted long. 

Khlyen stood and tossed the boy’s hair, earning him a glare and a push away. Johnny, seeing that Davin was agreeing to the babysitter, jumped up and hugged Khlyen goodbye with a grin. So long as Davin wasn’t making a fuss, the younger brother happily accepted the opportunity to have someone new to show around his house. As the hug ended, the doorbell rang and Khlyen opened the door.

“Hi, I’m Lucy from a couple houses down. You called about needing a babysitter?”

Lucy turned out to be a sixteen year old girl with bright red hair, black nail polish, and a nose piercing. Khlyen hesitated at the sight of her but the wide grin she gave the curious boys behind him gave him hope that he was leaving his charges with someone capable. Johnny soon had his hand in cased in hers as Khlyen gave her the house rules, a quick tour, and a list of names and numbers to call. With a reminder to Davin and Johnny that their precious video game time would be sacrificed if he heard of any misbehaving, Khlyen left the house and focused his mind on dealing with King and whatever problem his former trainee needed help solving.

 

Driving to the end of the street, Khylen rolled the car to a stop behind a black SUV with tinted windows. He closed his eyes and took a breath for patience. Locking his car, he opened the back door of the large vehicle and climbed in. The man at the wheel turned around and Khlyen held in a groan as he realized King wasn’t the driver and that he would have to wait even longer to get answers.

“Hello Gared, still playing taxi driver?” 

Gared laughed as he watched Khlyen check his phone for messages. “Afraid they need you already? You worry too much over the little chicks.”

“Eyes on the road, drive and don’t talk about them.”

Gared gave him a sloppy salute, “Yes boss.”

 

“Okay boys, what do you want to do now?”

“Legos!”

“Video games!”

Lucy busied herself with cleaning up the table from dinner (a pleasant affair that consisted of one hundred questions about her life)  while the boys debated over what to play. Davin convinced Johnny at last and the boys raced to the TV to grab their controllers. 

Lucy finished up the dishes and wandered over to watch the boys play some sort of racing game. She’d been excited to be the first babysitter in the local neighborhood to get a look at the newcomers and she couldn’t wait to report that the boys were actually foster kids and not Mr. Alexander’s biological children. A grin split her face as Johnny bumped Davin’s car into a wall and Davin groaned about unfair moves. 

“Wow,” Lucy commented, “Mr. Alexander when all out for you guys huh?”

Davin didn’t look up from the game as he answered, “he even plays with us sometimes. He says if I do well in school, he’ll buy me one of my own.”

“Wow, I bet he’ll even let you take it with you when you go.”

Johnny looked at Lucy, not noticing his bright blue car get knocked into the wall and start spinning. His face scrunched up in confusion as he said, “we aren’t going back to our dad, Khlyen promised.”

“Oh, I don’t mean go back to your father. I mean when you move foster homes.”

Davin paused the game and gave the teenager a glare.

“Khlyen wouldn’t want us to leave right Davin?” Johnny asked.

“No Johnny, he wouldn’t.”

Lucy looked at the two boys and covered her mouth with her hand, “oh god guys. I’m sorry. I’ll shut up now. Go back to your game okay?”

Davin stood up and shut off the game while Johnny scooted away from his controller. Lucy sighed and plopped down next to the younger boy. She hadn’t meant to bring up what was obviously a painful topic for the boys.

_ Yeah, just GREAT babysitting skills Lucy. _

“Maybe Khlyen will adopt us,” Johnny said at last with a hopeful expression.

Davin continued to clean up the gaming area. “I don’t think they let single men adopt kids Johnny, much less two at once.”

Johnny looked at Lucy as if she knew the answer to every question in his head. “Do they?”

“I don’t know,” Lucy said, “I know that adoption agencies like couples more than single parents but maybe it’s all about how well the adults and children fit.”

“We fit!” Johnny exclaimed.

“Yeah, but it’s never up to us. It’s up to the grownups,” Davin said carefully.

“So if Khlyen were married, then we might be able to be adopted?” Johnny’s expression of hope turned desperate at the thought of having to leave the man who’d rescued them.

Again, Lucy shook her head. “I don’t know Johnny. I guess it’s possible.”

Davin turned around, his patience gone at last. “It doesn’t matter Johnny! You know that they never last and that dad always comes back!”

He watched his brother’s face fall and tears well up in the corners of his eyes but Davin tried not to let it affect him. His outburst was harsh he knew,and if Khlyen were here, he would make Davin do push ups for yelling. But he hated how often Johnny thought things would be better or that they would escape their father. Davin would start to hope too but when everything would turn out the same, it would hurt all over again. He couldn’t stand to see Johnny cry though and as the tears fell down his little brother’s face, Davin gathered him up in his arms and held him close.

“I’m sorry Johnny. I didn’t mean to yell.”

“Khlyen wouldn’t let him come back, he promised!” Johnny whispered through his tears.

Lucy left the room and came back with a glass of water for the distraught boy. “Does Khlyen have a girlfriend?”

Davin shook his head.

“Do you know if he likes girls?” Lucy asked, hoping the questions would distract Johnny from his crying fit.

“Yeah, I think he does,” Davin said with a shrug, “he’s told us about an ex-girlfriend before but I think it was a long time ago.”

Well then let’s start there,” Lucy said, “if we can get him a girlfriend then it’s a move in the right direction.”

“How are we going to do that?” Davin asked, taking the glass from Lucy and giving it to Johnny.

“Just like everyone else does,” the teenager said with a grin, “online!”

 

Opening the door as quietly as possible, Khlyen entered the dark house and hung his coat on its hook. He looked down at his clothes to make sure there weren't any obvious stains. Moving to the living room, he saw Lucy on her laptop while Davin and Johnny lay sleeping on the couch next to her. At the sudden movement, Lucy jumped a little and closed her laptop before offering him a smile. 

“We were playing on the computer when they fell asleep. I didn’t want to wake them.”

“I’ll take them to bed and then walk you home alright?”

“Oh that’s okay,” Lucy said, “you go put them to bed and I’ll call my brother to come get me. He’s always up at this time of night anyway.”

Khlyen nodded and lifted Johnny up from the couch. Davin started awake and held up his arms in defense. He put them down when he recognized Khlyen. The motion drove a pinpoint of pain into Khlyen’s chest but he knew from experience that Davin didn’t trust him enough to explain the reasoning behind some of his behavior. He settled for patting the older boy on the shoulder and gesturing towards the bedroom. While Lucy packed up her things and called her brother, Khlyen settled Johnny in his bunk and tucked Davin under his blankets. The younger boy didn’t wake up but Davin whispered a small goodnight before closing his eyes. 

Khlyen walked back into the living room to see Lucy waiting by the door.

“My brother’s outside,” Lucy said, “thanks for letting me babysit. They were great.”

He nodded and pulled out his wallet, handing her a folded envelope marked BABYSITTER. “Have a good night Miss Lucy.”

“Thank you Mr. Alexander, goodnight.” With a little wave, Lucy walked out the door.

 

A young man stood by the mailbox, tapping away at his phone and laughing. As Lucy walked up, he tucked his phone in his back pocket and fell in step beside her as they walked home.

“How much did he give you? Were they absolute brats?”

“You are so nosy Pree,” Lucy told him with a shove, “the money is none of your business and the boys were wonderful and they like me. I’m hoping to be number one on their preferred list. That would just irk that little busy body Constance to no end.”

Pree snorted, well aware of Lucy and Constance’s rivalry ever since the more conservative girl had told Lucy no one wanted a babysitter with a nose ring.

Lucy shook her head, clearing the rising anger from her mind, and said, “How was your night? Meet anyone worth talking about?”

“My night was excellent! I convinced Logan to give my band a slot on next week’s performances and I made good tips. The men on the other hand, nothing remotely interesting happening on that front.”

Her brother, half brother to the busy bodies who liked to point out their mixed family, rattled off the events of his night as they walked home and Lucy smiled at how easy it was to distract him.

“Does that mean you’ll finally move out of mom and dad’s apartment?”

He scoffed and turned to walk backwards. “Admit it, if I left you would be devastated.”

“Devastatingly happy!”

The siblings bickered good naturedly the rest of the way home and Lucy left her brother in the living room, giving him a quick hug before racing to her room. Opening up her laptop, she went to the profile page she’d been working on with the boys before they fell asleep and Khlyen came home.. Shaking her head at the one picture the boys were able to scrounge up, she made it the profile picture and hit the finish button. She crossed her fingers that this wasn’t false hope she was feeding the boys, and that someone would be interested in their profile.


End file.
